Before The Sun Sets
by Naturelover5628
Summary: Time is running out... fast. In a few months, King Zachary and Estora will get married. Will there be enough time to break the contract and will Karigan ever reveal her feelings to Zachary? Also might be some adventure in later chapters. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It had been harder to avoid him, and each time they passed each other, she strived to keep the distance. It was painful, and it hurt, not being able to talk to him the same way as before. The knowledge of his feelings for her had made it so much harder for her to keep the distance. He knew that she remembered, and there was no way that she could say otherwise. She knew that they could never be together, yet he was still trying to fight for a lost cause.

_I am not a lost cause!_ A voice within her tried to hope for what she knew could never happen. She was a lost cause. She could never reveal her feelings to him because it would only lead to disaster and heartbreak. He was a king and she was a rider. He was above her class, and she could never hope for a happy ending. Looking down, Karigan muttered a greeting to her monarch who had turned the corner.

"Rider, could I have a private word with you?"

"If you will excuse me for saying so Sire, but if it is of not much importance, I am extremely busy with paperwork." She replied, still avoiding his gaze. With a slight gesture of his hand, he told her that it was not of much importance and that she could proceed with her task. With a sigh of relief, Karigan murmured her respects and walked on through the corridor. King Zachary watched her retreating form and let out a small sigh himself. He could see how she avoided looking at him and tried her hardest to stay away from him. Either she always had somewhere to be or he had somewhere to be. There was never a moment where they could talk freely… talk things over. He had signed the contract, but it did not mean it couldn't be broken. He had been able to solve so many problems. Why couldn't he solve this one?

_Because there is more than one problem, and they are all connected._ The answer made sense. He was unsure if Karigan even loved him back, but he had reason to believe she did. She purposely avoided him when she saw him, and she refused to talk freely with him like she used to. It could have been of embarrassment, he thought, but it did not seem likely. Then, there was the marriage contract. There was a loop-hole, but it had certain limitations to it. Estora had a strong character but not as strong as Karigan. She bended to her father's will, and it would be a matter of convincing Coutre to call off the marriage. Either that or Lady Estora would have to end it herself. With the latter, he would have no dishonor on his part, but for Lady Estora and Coutre, things could go slightly wrong. Then, there was the problem of convincing the Lord Governors to sanction their marriage. That would prove to be the hardest part of the process. Shaking his head, he headed to his study to clear some paperwork before his next row of meetings.

* * *

Why was she unable to avoid him? Why couldn't her life be free of the torment she now faced? She always knew that she would find a person she loved one day but did it have to be the king of Sacoridia? She felt like she was deceiving Estora by even having these feelings. That breach in their friendship had vanished like it had never existed, but Karigan felt even more guilt for hurting Estora. She didn't deserve the hostility that Karigan had shown towards her, and even worse, she didn't know why. It must have confused her, and pained her to lose her only friend.

She had been so tired when she had come out of the tombs, but she remembered that expression on his face clearly. He looked surprised but then, fear shone in his eyes. At the time, she didn't care but now, she knew it was fear for her. Was that why he constantly wished to talk to her? To make sure she was all right? Karigan felt like she was hurting him as much as she had hurt Estora but there was no other choice. She was not going to get herself mixed up in these kinds of affairs, especially with the king of Sacoridia. Sighing, Karigan turned back to her paperwork.

* * *

She had never once gotten the courage to ask her friend about her actions before the intrusion. One day, Karigan refused to talk to her except for in a formal tone and then, it seemed like the next day, she would lay down her life for her. Also, on the day of the garden party, there was something strange going on with her. Not just her but King Zachary too. There had been something in their voices, something in their eyes that had been cleverly concealed. And she was determined to figure it out.

Leaning back on her chair, Estora began to think over when Karigan had turned away from her. It had been… the day of the marriage announcement. She looked angry at something. Perhaps angry wasn't the right word. More disappointed than angry. Still, the reason eluded her. She had thought about it day and night. Had she said something wrong to her? Is that why Karigan had pushed her away?

And King Zachary too, he had reacted differently. After the announcement, the mask of his had slipped for a moment. In his eyes she could see sadness and pain. It was only for a moment, but it told a great deal. Something about the marriage made him unhappy, probably even more so than her. It could be that there was someone else who caught his eye. She remembered the walk she had taken with him the summer rider barracks burnt. There had been someone who had caught his eye then. Before she could think about it any further, her peace was interrupted. Sighing, she answered the call of her mother.

* * *

The stars stood out amongst the midnight blue sky. A full moon shone down upon the castle gardens and illuminated the face of a brown-haired rider, sitting on a bench. Her head was in her hands and her eyes were clenched shut. She tried to block the flow of memories from her mind but still, they appeared in her mind, reminding her of the events a few weeks ago. She wanted to scream but no sound came out of her mouth. Even when she wasn't sleeping, the nightmares still haunted her. Staring at the ground, she sighed. She had finally managed to dispel the images from her mind. Her only hope was that they would let her rest until the next night.

"Are you alright?" a soft gentle voice came from behind her. Lifting her head up, Karigan turned around to see the person she had least wanted to see at the moment. He would only bring her back into her living nightmares, she knew and she turned back to the flowers in front of her, avoiding his question. A feeling of uneasiness settled over her as he took a seat beside her.

"Karigan, I know that I am probably the last person you want to see right now but we need to talk this… whatever this is over." He sighed. Standing up, Karigan turned to face him, anger settling in her eyes.

"There is nothing to talk about." She said forcefully, turning on her heel to walk away, when she felt an arm on her hand. Spinning around, she came face to face with Fastion, Willis and the other few weapons.

"If you will excuse us rider, but yes, there is something to talk about. And since you can be overheard quite easily here, there is somewhere to talk about _this_" Fastion said keeping his hard-set expression. Several other Weapons nodded their heads in approval. She knew that she had no choice but to stay. Even invisible, there was nowhere she could run to. She followed King Zachary and the Weapons to the side of the castle, and they stopped at a door on the side.

The stone walls outside rose high and the wall where the door was propelled out from the side of the castle. Three weapons stood on guard at the outer wall while three more stood on guard at the second wall inside the other. Karigan and Zachary passed through the door in the second wall to a garden lighted slightly from the moonlight. After they lit the torches, Karigan took a seat on a bench.

"Karigan, I know that you must hate me right now for talking to you right now, but I feel that we need to… talk things out.

"I want you to know that I am sorry. I am sorry for everything, especially for telling you _after_ I accepted the… contract." He began, looking at her, his eyes begging for forgiveness.

"Sire, there is nothing to forgive, so you have no need to mutter apologies." She responded with a slight hint of anger in her voice. How could he do this to her? Expect her to talk about their…relationship? No, there was no relationship. She was a rider and was bound to his service. There was nothing more, nothing less. She _had_ no feelings for him, and it would rest at that.

"If there is nothing to forgive, then tell me something. Why have you been avoiding me?"

Karigan froze her expression blank. Her hands gripped the seat as she struggled to find the words. He was right, the part of her that hoped for what could never be felt. If she didn't feel anything for him, then why _had _she been avoiding him? No! She didn't care. It was to… prevent these feelings from ever coming!

"I…I um… uh…" Karigan struggled to find the words. He gazed at her intently, still waiting for an answer. A nervous feeling swelled in her heart as she searched through her mind to find the right words. She knew why she was avoiding him, but she just couldn't tell him. She had tried to deny this for so long, but one day or another, she would have to tell him that she loved him.

"I… um… I wasn't avoiding you. I was just too busy to…talk."

"Would that explain why you always turned away at the sight of me?" he asked softly. He could see the startled expression on her face and could sense her distress from his questions. But he had to know. Maybe, if the feeling was mutual, they could have a happy ending to their story, but then he thought of the limitations of ruling a country. It would kill Karigan to stay caged and trapped like he was. He had no desire to bring about that feeling for her, but then again, it was exactly what he was doing to her now. It was the only way he could find out, and he didn't believe that she would tell him straight out.

"You force me in here and expect me to answer your every question? I had every right to avoid you considering that you are getting married to my friend. You left me with the knowledge that I wished I had never known. Tell me how you would feel if you were in my place? Guilty? Because that's exactly how I've been feeling since that night. Guilty, like I was betraying my friend by even having the knowledge of your… your feelings!" she lashed out unexpectedly. He looked startled for a moment before a deep sorrow settled in his heart. She was right. If things had been the other way around, and he was in her place, he would have felt the same. Her words, like an arrow, pierced his heart and he felt all his hopes and dreams fade slowly away. She must hate him for bringing that upon her.

"I'm sorry." Karigan spoke softly. She could read the pain in his eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt him. Staring at her shoes, she sighed.

"It's all right. There is no need to be sorry. What you said is true, and I know that I have gone about this the wrong way. I only wish that I could have taken back those words and made this ordeal easier."

"Even that wouldn't have changed the guilt" Karigan heard herself mutter, her eyes widening as she realized what she had just said. She searched frantically through her mind for a way to explain. Glancing up at him, she exhaled in relief, thinking that he hadn't heard her.

"Do you still feel guilty?" the question was unexpected, breaking through the brief silence that had been in the air. Karigan nodded, rising to her feet and turning away. King Zachary swallowed, and his hands started to become clammy. He prepared to ask her the most important question he would ever ask a person.

"Do you love me?"

* * *

**Hey. So... did you like it? Please R&R and tell me what I need to change and whatnot. I don't feel to bad about this first chapter but I tend to write whatever comes into my mind so I don't know how bad the other chapters will be. Also, I am unsure about how long it will take me to update and post new chapters because sometimes, I get writer's block and other times, I just don't have any ideas. So I'll see where this goes and try and update ASAP. Thank You!**

**Also, thanks to Cassidy Alice for supporting my stories. She is a really amazing writer in my eyes, and she constantly motivates me to continue my stories. If you get a chance, please R&R her stories. Unfortunately, she does not write for the Green Rider series, but still, she is a very good writer and gives me ideas from time to time. Hope you enjoyed my story!**

**Naturelover5628**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay! So after a long wait here is my second chapter. Sorry that its not too long. It was like 2 pgs on word, but anyways, I hope that you enjoy.**

* * *

Her hand raised reflexively to touch her brooch and fade into the night but he caught her arm, holding her back. She could read the need in his eyes... she knew that he wanted an answer, and though she had one, she just wasn't ready to give it to him yet.

"Why are you asking me this?" She whispered, knowing the answer before he replied.

"I am willing to fight for my people, Karigan, and I am willing to fight for _you_. I want nothing more than to throw away my crown and status and be with you… if you would have me." She looked at the door, judging her chance at escaping, but he still gripped her arm tightly, waiting for an answer.

"I can't tell you." Karigan could see how her response had hurt him, but she couldn't tell him that she _did_ love him, and that if things were different, she _would_ fight for her heart. She knew better than to get herself mixed up in these affairs.

"Sometimes, I envy you. You are free to make your own choices, live your own life. All I wanted was to go back to Hillander… to govern my province until … but that would never have worked out. With Amilton on the throne, my father knew that there would be disaster. I could have said no, but I never want to see my country in the hands of someone like Amilton. Letting Sacoridia fall would mean letting down my people, and I never want to do that. Everyone expects something from me, everyone but you. You have no limits, no expectations…" He sighed, giving a sad smile. Karigan stood up, her back turned to him, anger flooding through her.

"I am free to make my own choices? No! I never _asked_ to become a Green Rider and give up my normal life to come here and serve you. I never wanted to give up my life as a merchant's daughter. For so long, I tried to resist the call, but even in my sleep, I could not escape it! I am not saying that I don't enjoy being a Green Rider, but I never wanted to be one. I never had a choice. Why can't any of you aristocrats understand that?" She felt the rage slowly leave her, and a single tear fell. She turned away, wiping it away with her hand

"Then I guess that in that, we are the same." He responded, a hand resting on her shoulder.

"Did you know that Lady Estora said the same thing to me, about being free to make my own choices? That day… on the tower?" She said softly, whispering the last few words.

"No,I…" She cut him off, spinning around to face him.

"You are a king, and I am a rider. There can never be anything between us, and you know that. Please spare me the guilt and leave me alone!" Karigan shouted, lifting her hand to her brooch. She faded into the night and started running to the exit, not wanting to look back at him and see the pained look on his face. Tears blurred her vision as she ran past the weapons and out of the private gardens. Things were going from bad to worse, and she feared that if she ever spoke to him alone again… she would break.

* * *

She had never felt as alone as she felt now. No matter how many people surrounded her, she felt like she didn't belong, and she didn't. The other riders were all talking about the upcoming marriage and they were so enthusiastic about it… all it brought to her was misery. Standing up, she silently left the room, knowing that no one would miss her this morning.

Walking through the corridors aimlessly, Karigan sighed. She wished that she had some place where she could be in solitude. Someplace where she could be free from the talk of the marriage. Every corner she turned, she feared that she would come face to face with King Zachary.

An hour must have passed since she left the Rider Common Room. Walking down a set of stairs while thinking, Karigan finally noticed where she was headed. Her eyes widened as the door at the bottom of the stairs opened.

"Karigan?"

She turned around quickly, running, disregarding his calls behind her. As she ran up the stairs, a hand grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop. She turned around, staring into almond-shaped eyes, and a nervous feeling flooded through her body.

"I…I…" she stuttered, unsure of what to say. A smile spread across King Zachary's face, but it soon faded away into an earnest, pleading look.

"Karigan, please forgive me for what I said yesterday. I… I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm sorry." He looked down sadly, staring at the floor. Karigan glanced at the steps behind her, unsure of how to respond.

She felt guilty for running away from him then… and now, but the way he kept trying, even though he had signed the contract, was frightening. It proved the depth of his love for her, and that scared her. They stood there in silence, neither making any attempt to break the silence.

"Do…do you really need to know?" she asked, glancing nervously around to make sure that no one was coming. He nodded, waving his hand in the direction of his new study.

"I already have the papers planned… if I could break the contract, then…" He looked at her in the eyes. "If you were willing, I would send them to the lord governors. I would never force you into anything you didn't want. You _know _I love you. The choice is yours…"

"I…can I…get back to you on that?" Karigan asked, her voice unsure. She wished so badly that she could tell him, but she couldn't say the words without feeling like she was betraying Estora. He nodded, a hopeful look in his eyes, and then turned and walked away. Walking back up the stairs to her room, she wanted to smack herself in the head. Did she just agree to tell him? What was wrong with her? Friends with two aristocrats, in love with one… what was she doing? Maybe if she had just stayed at Selium to wait for her father instead of going off on her own… she sighed. How was she ever going to tell King Zachary that she loved him?

* * *

**So, how was it? I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think! I'll try and update ASAP because now, I have some free time.**

**Naturelover5628**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so here is my new chapter. Sorry that it is not too long, but I will try and update ASAP. Happy New Years Eve! :D**

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Karigan knocked on the large door that stood before her. In a minute, it opened to reveal a golden-haired lady with a bored expression.

"Please tell me that you have come to rescue me from my family." She whispered, a smile lighting her face. When Karigan nodded, Estora called an excuse to leave to her family, and then she accompanied Karigan to a secluded part of the castle.

"So, you're finally speaking to me again." Estora smiled, giving Karigan a quick hug. "I knew that you couldn't be mad at me forever!"

"It's not that I was mad at you, Estora"

"Then why in five hells have you been avoiding me?" Karigan's eyes darted around the area nervously, and she struggled to find the right words. She knew that she couldn't tell King Zachary until she had Estora's consent, but would her friend hate her? Would she be angry with her for loving the man that she was engaged to?

"It's… I… I'm not sure what you will think of me when I say this, but I… I _love King Zachary_" Karigan said, whispering the last three words. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for harsh words from Estora, but when she opened her eyes, her friend was smiling at her, a sympathetic look in her eyes.

"I'm so blind, Karigan! If I had known before, I would have never agreed to the contract. I am so sorry! Can you forgive me for not noticing?" Taken aback, Karigan stepped back, her eyes wide.

"You mean, you don't… you don't hate me?" When Estora shook her head, Karigan let out a small sigh of relief. She felt like half of the weight on her heart had disappeared, knowing that Estora didn't blame her for loving King Zachary. But there was still the other half that craved to let King Zachary know that she did, in fact, love him.

"Does he know?" Karigan shook her head, her gaze falling to the floor. Estora squeezed her hand lightly, feeling sorry for her friend.

"You do know that he loves you too, right? I've seen his eyes light up whenever your name was mentioned, and I know that he is unhappy with the marriage. Before the announcement, I knew that someone else had caught his heart… I just didn't have the sense to put two and two together, did I?"

"I do know. That day, when you told me of the engagement, he gave me something… a gift. It was fit for a queen, not a common messenger, and when I went to give it back, he… he told me. And I didn't react very well." Cringing at the memory, Karigan continued. "I avoided both of you since then, because I didn't want to betray you by even feeling these feelings."

"I will break off this engagement, Karigan. If I had known earlier, I would have never signed the contract. I thought that I would be helping my family, and all I wanted was kindness and someone who was caring. I'm ashamed that I never thought that I could be ruining someone else's chance at love. I can and I will end this engagement no matter what it takes. You should tell him." Nodding, Karigan thanked Estora for listening to what she had to say. Giving a small smile, she left to her room to decide what to do next.

* * *

**Okay, I know that it was short, but I really needed to get this out of the way so I could plan for the rest of my story, so... how was it? Please Review & let me know what you think of this chapter/story! Thank You! **

**Naturelover5628**


	4. Note

I am sorry to say that I will not be continuing Before The Sun Sets. I have recently read on KB's website that she does not want anyone to write fanfiction. While I still will enjoy reading fanfics, I would like to respect her wishes. I will not post anymore of my stories. I don't know if anyone wants to continue this... it's pretty horrible to me, but if someone wants too...

Really, I am sorry for those of you that liked my story. But there are other stories out there. They are all very good stories. I will leave what I have posted, but I will not be continuing.

Naturelover5628


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